Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-03-17
THE INVESTIGATION.
4 Broken journal Probably the Cause of
the Disaster.


the Disaster.
BosTON, Mass, March l6.-The Rail
road Commissioners continued their invcs-
tigation into the cause of the Forest Hills
accident to-day George Richards, master
mechanic Of the Boston and Providence
road testified that the telescOping of the
cars seemed to indicate that there must
have been break in some part of the
train. Anything that would suddenly
stop the forward part of train would
cause such telescOping, either the break
ing OF a. truck or wheel or Gerailment
would cause it. A single deraiIment would
not cause the trucks to come of when the
train was going fifteen miles an hour, il on
frozen ground. Witness thought the cause
of the accident was
4 PARTIAL DERAILMENT
which must have taken place on the
bridge rs there were no signs of such on
the Rosindale side. He had not seen the
slccpers Oh the bridge to note whether
there was any sign ofderailment on them
The trucks OF the third car must have
struck the abutmcnt. The tclcScoping
must have taken place on the bridge before
the abutment was struck. The bridge
must have been in good condition when
the engine struck it, When the bridge
collapsed it must have been on the west
side first. The first and second cars
were strong and substantial. The
third car was of little different
pattern. The others were strong aud sub
substantial. Witness had seen nothing in
his examination that would indicate n seri-
Ous weakness in the bridge. In examining
the wreck he did not discover any rusty
cracks in the iron, except one in one of the
hearing plates. The plate was "T' shaped.
1t hal small crack, but thought it of no
importance 1t was broken out of some
cOlumnar support of the bridge, hut he did
not know from which part. Witness was
out there yesterday and examined all the
piers but could find nothing more than Il
few impcrltctiOns in the weddings 1t was
very rare to find really perfect weld.
The axle of car No. 81 was repaired last
January.
lht Jbl In AIS
showed dlScolOratiOn all the way round.
That wheel has been preserved. If the
journal broke outside of the wheel it would
cause serious accident, for one of the
worst accidents in this State was caused
in that way. The weight of the ear is car
red on the journal. The break of the
journal would take off the weight from the
wheels and then the wheels would leave
the track. The breaking of that jOnrnal
might have caused severe shock 10 the
bridge. The journal might have been
broken halfa mile away. Broken journals
have been known 10 20 40 To 80 miles
without accident The accident may
have been caused by the derailing of this
pair of wheels either on the bridge or
before. II it took place on the bridge
it might have given such n shock to il as
to throw it off, The bridge was about 100
feet long and each car was 80 long When
the fifth car with the broken journal
would he on the bridge the first three would
be over. II was probably the first or sec
ond that left the track. At the place where
the bridge joined the abutment the rail
was continuous. There was clasp Joining
the rail to the abutment This held, hut
the rail was torn Off The Joint in the rails
was in the centre of the bridge. There was
lap on both sides of the bridge. The
telescOping of the ears would indicate that
the accident first occurred 10 the train and
not to the bridge, and that the bridge went
down rs the result of the accident to the
train. Adjourned.